The present inventors have studied intensively with an object of providing an ophthalmic composition containing highly safe components, which are useful to improve the unpleasant feeling due to xerophthalmus and has suitable moistening (moisturizing) effect on contact lenses of any type even during use, said moisturizing effect being durable for a sufficient period. The inventors have found that an intended composition can be obtained by compounding appropriately polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol or polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene substituted ethylenediamine, which has proved to have no adverse effect on contact lenses such as accumulation and be safe, in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable thickener.
Thus, the present invention provides an ophthalmic composition having regulated viscosity characterized in that it contains polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene-substituted ethylenediamine in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable thickener and has a viscosity ranging from 1 cps to 8 cps at 20xc2x0 C.
Throughout the present specification, the term xe2x80x9cviscosityxe2x80x9d used in connection with an ophthalmic composition of the present invention principally stands for a value measured at 20xc2x0 by a method using a rotary viscometer of a cone-plate type which will be mentioned later.
The composition of the present invention has various uses in the field of ophthalmology. For example, since the moisture-keeping effect of a thickener due to the residing property as well as the moistening (moisturizing) effect of polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol or polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene-substituted ethylenediamine are potentiated, the composition has an excellent ability to make a solid surface to be liable to get wet, and is useful as a contact lens wetting agent. Further, since its moistening effect is durable, the composition is useful as eye drops applicable while wearing contact lenses. Furthermore, since the composition of the present invention comprises components free from adsorption with and accumulation on contact lenses, it is useful as a contact lens wetting agent and eye drops which have not been available prior to the present application. Still further, the composition of the present invention can moisten solid surface and therefore is expected to accelerate the wetting of cornea surface, whereby it is useful as eye drops for treating dry eye of patients with or without contact lenses. Besides, the composition is useful as a cleaning agent, preserving liquid, etc. for contact lenses.